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Medicine for Treating an Incomplete Miscarriage

If you have had an incomplete
miscarriage with no complications, you may have the
option of using medicine that causes the
uterus to push out all remaining tissue. Treatment
with medicine offers an alternative to surgical treatment or waiting for the
miscarriage to complete. Some women may have more bleeding and cramping if they
choose medicine treatment.

Mifepristone and misoprostol, medicines that are more
commonly used to terminate first-trimester pregnancy, have been used on a
limited basis to treat miscarriage. First, mifepristone acts to block the
body's use of
progesterone, a hormone that supports pregnancy. Then,
misoprostol is used to soften the cervix and start uterine contractions,
inducing the uterus to empty.

Misoprostol can be used alone to
treat miscarriage.

Medicines used to complete a miscarriage may
have side effects. These may include:

Nausea.

Vomiting.

Diarrhea.

Headache.

Dizziness.

Chills or hot flushes (sweating and feeling overly hot).

Fatigue.

Methylergonovine (Methergine), a medicine that makes blood
vessels constrict throughout the body, is commonly used to control uterine
bleeding after a miscarriage. Methergine makes the uterus contract, which helps
control blood loss. Methergine can
cause sudden high blood pressure, so it is used carefully.

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